While beets have been grown in English gardens for centuries there aren’t many recipes for beets from the Edwardian era–they include the Russian Borscht, pickled beets and beet salad, which uses cooked beets. While we enjoy raw salads today, it was a particular rarity in the Edwardian era. August Escoffier, the Celebrity French Chef of the time, only makes passing reference to salads in his great work The Escoffier. Of the 2,973 recipes in this book, followed by chefs employed by the Britain’s aristocracy, he lists only one simple salad recipe and five dressings. Meanwhile home cooks in the UK were using beets in innovative ways as chocolate cake.
Not only do beets taste great, they are heart healthy. Need proof? Check out this recent study:“Beetroot Juice and Blood Pressure: A Study Funded By The British Heart Foundation”.
Gorgeous Beet Salad with Orange and Ginger Dressing
While we enjoy raw salads today, it was a particular rarity in the Edwardian era. Of the 2,973 recipes in French Chef Escoffier book used chefs employed by the Britain's aristocracy, he listed only one simple salad recipe.
Servings 4 people
Calories 111kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound Beets about 4 medium sized
- ¼ cup walnuts coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 1/4 tsp. orange zest grated
- 1 tsp. orange juice fresh
- 1 Pinch nutmeg freshly grated
- ½ tsp. fresh ginger grated
- 2 tbsp. green onion or chives chopped
- 2 tbsp. chopped green onion or chives
Instructions
- Bake the beets (instructions below)
- Julienne the beets into ¼” thick strips, place in a bowl and set aside.
- Toast the walnuts in a 325 F oven and reserve.
- Blend together the remaining ingredients for the dressing and pour over the beets.
- Let the flavors settle for a few hours before serving, either cold or at room temperature.
Notes
Bake your Beets for Maximum Flavour
While we often refer to "roasting" technically we no longer use open fireplaces to cook our food. Baking your beets is the best way to way tobring out the beet's sweet flavour. This method also saves your hands and kitchen counters from the stains of beet juice. Baked beets are often served alongside meats so you can make at the same time in the oven.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound Beets uniform in size
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400 F.
- Cut off greens which can be used in other recipes. Scrub the beets thoroughly, then wrap individually in aluminum foil.
- Place the beets on a baking sheet to catch any drips.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Beets are done when a fork or skewer slides easily to the center of the beet. Small beets will cook more quickly than larger beets so if all your beets are uniform they will all be done at the same time.
- Set the beets aside until cool enough to handle. You can now easily remove the skin and protect your hands by holding each beet in a paper towel and rub the skin away. If it doesn't come off easily you likey need to bake the beets a bit longer.
Nutrition
Serving: 10g | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 345mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g
Gorgeous Beet Salad with Orange and Ginger Dressing
While we enjoy raw salads today, it was a particular rarity in the Edwardian era. Of the 2,973 recipes in French Chef Escoffier book used chefs employed by the Britain's aristocracy, he listed only one simple salad recipe.
Servings 4 people
Calories 111kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound Beets about 4 medium sized
- ¼ cup walnuts coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 1/4 tsp. orange zest grated
- 1 tsp. orange juice fresh
- 1 Pinch nutmeg freshly grated
- ½ tsp. fresh ginger grated
- 2 tbsp. green onion or chives chopped
- 2 tbsp. chopped green onion or chives
Instructions
- Bake the beets (instructions below)
- Julienne the beets into ¼” thick strips, place in a bowl and set aside.
- Toast the walnuts in a 325 F oven and reserve.
- Blend together the remaining ingredients for the dressing and pour over the beets.
- Let the flavors settle for a few hours before serving, either cold or at room temperature.
Notes
Bake your Beets for Maximum Flavour
While we often refer to "roasting" technically we no longer use open fireplaces to cook our food. Baking your beets is the best way to way tobring out the beet's sweet flavour. This method also saves your hands and kitchen counters from the stains of beet juice. Baked beets are often served alongside meats so you can make at the same time in the oven.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound Beets uniform in size
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400 F.
- Cut off greens which can be used in other recipes. Scrub the beets thoroughly, then wrap individually in aluminum foil.
- Place the beets on a baking sheet to catch any drips.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Beets are done when a fork or skewer slides easily to the center of the beet. Small beets will cook more quickly than larger beets so if all your beets are uniform they will all be done at the same time.
- Set the beets aside until cool enough to handle. You can now easily remove the skin and protect your hands by holding each beet in a paper towel and rub the skin away. If it doesn't come off easily you likey need to bake the beets a bit longer.
Nutrition
Serving: 10g | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 345mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g